Daily Archives: August 25, 2010

Bees

Honey Equipment

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Lughnasa                                Full Artemis Moon

Artemis was goddess of bees, among other duties, so we celebrate her this month on honey extraction.  On that note the extractor stand, the electric motor and an electric uncapping knife came today, so we have the equipment we need.  Now we need to learn how to use it.  First thing is to wash it all, then put the extractor on the stand and motor on the extractor.  After that, start removing supers, brushing off bees and sticking those honey super frames in the extractor.  Hit spin and wait.

So, we have two new machines here:  the long-arm quilter and the honey extractor.  Both of us will be on learning curves though I think the long-arm will have a steeper one.  It’s complex, the extract not so much.

Received, in addition  to bee related stuff, 9 cubic yards of wood chips.  They get distributed on Friday.

Kate made a tart last night out of the raspberries and some bay field blueberries.  Pretty damned good.

Bees, Garden

The Harvest Season

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Lughnasa                                               Full Artemis Moon

Ragged.  Bug-ridden.  Tired out.  The garden needs attention, too.  Stole this one from a Star-Trib column this morning.  It’s true, though, that the garden has begun to head toward the compost pile.  That’s what harvest means, the plants die or die back and we take the seed pods or roots or stalks and leaves.  This year the harvest will include honey.

The shiny stainless steel extractor, sans motor which is still on its way, now sits outside on our deck along with the plastic pail with its 200 micron filter and its 600 micron filter.  There is, too, a Rubbermaid commercial product which is an uncapping container over which we remove the covers on the honeycomb.  After uncapping, they go in the extractor.  After the extractor the honey gets filtered twice and then stored in a plastic pail while awaiting bottling.

Also getting a big load of mulch today, more for the orchard and the vegetable garden.